Time Will Tell
by Yulliah
Summary: What if you wake up and you're not yourself? What if you are thrown across time? What if the only person you trust enough to help you get back, hates who you've become even more than the person you were? Snarry Slash, don't like it? Don't read it!
1. Chapter 1

**Heya! Well, I have to admit I'm kind of nervous right now!**

**I usually write Twilight fanfiction, but I couldn't resist writing a Snarry!**

**So here it is, the first chapter of what I hope will be a story you'll enjoy!**

**I want to really thank the FB Snarry Lovers group, because their awesome reccs sure made me more eager to write this, and because they all jumped in very fast when I asked for someone to preread it!**

**So, let's get on with it! This first chapter isn't betaed, but I hope I got all of the mistakes out. If not, my apologies. I'm hoping the next chapter will be betaed!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, I am not J.K. Rowling! If you don't like m/m stories, stop right here and turn back!**

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I woke up with one hell of a headache and squinted my eyes against the lights coming through the window. Unsure of what happened and unable to really see anything I reached around for my glasses.

Weird, this felt like my bed in Hogwarts and it even smelled like it, but my bed table wasn't where it was supposed to be. Reaching around on the other side, my hands closed over a thin metal frame circled a pair of round glasses and I quickly pulled them up to my eyes.

Well, I was right, I was at Hogwarts. Still something was off, something didn't feel entirely right. And I was fairly certain that it wasn't just the fact that I finished my last year at Hogwarts over three months ago.

This wasn't my old dorm, nor was it the bed I spent the better part of my life in. Even the wand on the bed table wasn't mine. It was long and straight, maybe 11 inches? Thicker at the base and genuinely ending in a thin tip, like a stretched cone. By the looks of it, it was mahogany.

I gave it a curt flick and felt the magic course through me in a surprisingly pleasant way, so I decided that for now, I'd take it with me.

I hesitantly got out of bed and walked around to where my trunk would've been.

"Lumos," I whispered and sighed in relief as a light appeared at the tip of the wand without anything weird happening. Looking back at the foot of the bed, I scrunched my eyebrows.

There was _a _trunk there, it just wasn't mine. Looking around to see if anyone else was awake, I opened the lid and rumbled through the careless mess inside. Robes, new ones by the looks of it, potion equipment, books, socks and-

The Marauder's map! Didn't that get burned during the final battle?

I shook my head and took it out. If anything, I'd be able to figure out where _exactly _I was.

"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good" I whispered and tapped the parchment with my borrowed wand.

One by one little feet appeared on the map together with the accompanying names. But this couldn't be right, because in the headmaster's office it clearly said; 'Albus Dumbledore'.

And Albus Dumbledore was dead.

I peered over the rest of the map and tried to find my own name on the map. Judging by the tapestries in the dorm, I was surely in Gryffindor Tower.

I didn't recognize any of the names, which was weird seeing that I knew almost every Gryffindor in Hogwarts, save for the new first years of course. But these names didn't make any sense to me at all.

Once I read the names in one of the dorm rooms I was sure this map was either a fake or it was broken, because there was no way on earth that in that room, a certain Sirius Black, a Remus Lupin and a Peter Pettigrew were sleeping soundly in their beds, as James Potter was standing next to another.

I chuckled and prepared to toss the map back into the trunk when the little black feet indicated that Sirius was awake and walking right up to the pair of feet marking James Potter. I looked closer and got the living daylights scared out of me when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

Nearly dropping both the map and the wand I spun around and stared right into a pair of grey eyes, framed by the biggest mess of dark curls I'd ever seen. Those eyes, I couldn't be sure, but they were so very familiar. And those lips, curled up in mischievous curiosity, I'd seen those lips before.

"James," the boy whispered and peeked at the map in my hands. "What are we up to?"

James, James Potter. I knew what was wrong, and it wasn't just wrong. This wasn't just a case of waking up in the wrong bed, I had woken up in the wrong body.

I rushed to the large mirror in the corner and looked at myself with wide eyes. No, not at myself. The person I saw in the mirror wasn't Harry Potter, it was my dad, my 17 year old father, very much alive.

"James," the boy whisper yelled and I knew who he was, I knew where I had seen his face.

"Sirius," I said with a voice that wasn't my own. "Go back to bed, I just-"

He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head slightly. "I had a weird dream and I wanted to check something. Honestly, go back to bed."

He continued to watch me as I made my way back to the bed and slid in between the covers, not moving a muscle. "Seriously, I'm fine!" I told him, but I knew it was falling on deaf ears.

Still, after a staring match that lasted a whole of two minutes he shrugged and went back to bed. I was glad he did, for I had no idea what I could tell him. Sure, I trusted Sirius when he was alive and I loved him to no end, but what I knew about the Marauders as teenagers wasn't all that positive. I wasn't sure Sirius would help me if I told him I was James's future son, stuck in his body.

I leaned back into the pillows and tried to think. "Nox," I said quietly and lay down the map on the bedside table. I wasn't ready to let go of the wand yet, not sure if I was to expect any more surprises.

What was I supposed to do? What brought me here? And more importantly, how was I supposed to get back?

I waited until I heard soft snores coming from Sirius's bed and picked up the map again.

"Lumos," I whispered and his under the covers of the bed. I really hoped there was someone in this castle I could trust. One person that could help me. Someone I could put my trust in without turning them against me. Someone that-

Someone that never changed and never used me to accomplish his own dubious goals. Someone smart and greasy. Someone whose sneer made weaker men tremble. Someone Severus Snape.

I watched the little black feet move through the long corridors, up the stairs into the Astronomy tower and I knew what I had to do.

First, I'd have to try and not get my head hexed off and then I had to make sure Snape would help me.

For now I needed to catch some sleep though. This headache was killing me and I needed my wits about me if I was going to get out of this mess.

.

"James," a voice penetrated my dreams. What on earth? What James? What was going on?

"James!" the voice sounded more loudly and a pair of hands jerked at my shoulder.

"W-whut?" I mumbled as I opened my eyes and stared into a pair of glassy blue eyes. The boy was chubby and his long blond hair was slicked over his head. The two moles on his face alerted me to who exactly he was the minute I saw them and I hissed violently holding the wand still clutched in my hand to his chin.

"Whoah!" he cried and backed away with his hands in the air. "Easy now, James, no need to stick that in my face."

"James! What the hell are you doing?" someone out and slapped my wand away.

I stared up surprised and saw another boy look at me with curious green eyes. And why did I actually see them? Clearly and without any blur?

I lifted my hand to my nose and felt the pair of glasses stick crookedly to my face. Then I remembered. Fuck! These were my dad's friends. Remus, Peter and back in the corner, glaring at me through squinted eyes was Sirius.

I had fallen asleep with my glasses still on and my father's wand in hand. I felt around the bed and heard the parchment of the Marauder's map crumble under my ass.

"Sorry," I muttered and sat up. "Weird dream."

That was all the explanation I was going to give them and with unsteady feet I got out of bed and pulled some robes from my father's trunk.

"Well, hurry up!" Remus called. "Breakfast is in five minutes and you know what Professor Lance will be like if we show up late, again!"

"Don't worry about Professor Lance, Moony!" Sirius replied. "One smile from James here will set that straight."

He chuckled and I chuckled along with him, earning me a very strange glare from Remus in the process.

Fuck! I was already screwing this up and I didn't even know what I was doing wrong. Who was this Professor Lance?

I shook my head and checked my tie in the mirror before I followed the three boys out of the room. Then I remembered Snape's memories and knew that my dad and Sirius always were front and center of this little group, so I pushed past Wormtail and bumped my shoulder against my Godfather.

"What is up with you?" he snarled under his breath. "First you look in the mirror last night like that was the first time you ever saw yourself, and this morning you stick your wand against Peter's throat, looking like you're ready to kill him!"

"Get off my back, will you?" I replied somewhat agitated. I really couldn't handle questions right now, and if I needed to fight with Sirius to keep my cover, I would. Surely him and my dad had some falling outs over the years. "I told you, I had a weird dream!"

"Your dreams have you crying out for that greasy git in your sleep and attacking your friends now?" he snapped and I looked at him shocked.

"What do you mean, crying out for that greasy git?" I asked him incredulously. Fuck it! Seriously! I wasn't having those nightmares again, was I? The ones where I saw Snape get killed by Nagini and beg him not to die? Ron told me I had stopped crying out at night.

"No, Severus, no! Please! Severus, I'm sorry!" Sirius mocked in a high and tight but soft voice.

"What are you on about?" I demanded.

"You, before you got up and searched your chest last night!" Sirius answered. "You bloody woke me up with your crying and thrashing!"

He grabbed my shoulder and turned me to face him while watching an observing Remus coming up fast with Peter just behind him.

"James, if that snake did anything to harm you," he said barely containing his anger. "I swear I will kill him!"

"Let it go!" I snapped. "Pro- Snape did nothing, okay? There's nothing going on!"

The dark boy rolled his eyes and sighed frustrated. "Fine!" he bit back and continued on his way to the Great Hall.

As we came down the stairs a group of Slytherins cut us off and Sirius clenched his hands into fists. I shook my head and filed in behind them, but he grabbed my arm and pointed out another boy with his wand.

Severus Snape was looking sad. That was the only word I had for the way his shoulders slumped and his gaze was cast down to the floor. He never even saw the trapping jinx that Sirius cast beside me coming before it hit him and his feet snapped together.

He only just had time to break his fall with his free hand as his books fell from his other and he landed with a painful grunt.

"Sirius!" I cried, brows raising in disbelief as I looked at him. He seemed confused for a second, but I didn't look at him very long. Instead I rushed down the last few steps and kneeled down next to Snape, picking up his scattered books.

"Are you okay?" I asked and my breath hitched when I saw his black eyes look up at me in undiluted fury.

"Came to gloat, Potter?" he spat with more vehemence than I had ever seen from him.

"N-no, I-," I stuttered under the weight of his anger. "T-truce?"

I carefully lifted my hand and offered it to him. He looked at it with pure disgust curling his mouth into a tight sneer. "I think not," he answered and snatched his books from my arm before he strode into the hall, his robes flaring behind him in an oh so familiar batlike manner.

I sighed as I stared after him, this was going to be very hard.

"What the bloody hell were you _doing_?" Sirius almost yelled into my ear, but I payed him no mind. I huffed and made my way through the double doors to the long Gryffindor table.

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**I hope you liked it! Let me know and I'll be forever grateful!**

**Jules**


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright! I was positively baffled by the amazing positive responses to the first chapter!  
Thank you all so much!**

**I hope you'll like this chapter as much as the first one!**

**Disclaimer; I don't own anything Harry Potter! J.K. Rowling does and does it VERY well!**

**Also, for those of you who haven't realized, this is a Snarry fic, meaning it'll eventually pair Severus Snape and Harry Potter romantically. If that's not your thing, stop reading before you get invested! ;P**

**ENJOY!**

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As I sat down I refrained from looking around me. I could see Sirius, Peter and Remus sitting down from the corner of my eyes, but I did my best to ignore them. How was I ever going to keep this charade up? I knew next to nothing about my father and his life at Hogwarts.

Sure, he'd been a Marauder and his patronus was a stag, like mine. And he played Quidditch, like me. Other than that, I knew he was an obnoxious brat who randomly hexed others just because he could.

Don't get me wrong, I looked up to my father for who he was _after _he left Hogwarts. I felt proud to be his son, but I don't actually think I would've liked him very much if he had been in school with me.

So what else? I knew from Snape's memories that he and my mother didn't really get along until later. I mean, they'd have to have been dating at some time in school, because they married right after graduation.

Oh bloody hell! This couldn't be- I couldn't possibly- Fuck! What if my dad and my mother were already dating? I can't go around kissing my own mother, could I? And if I didn't, would I ruin their relationship? What would happen to me if they didn't end up getting married?

Or maybe things worked like with Hermione's time turner, that time can't be changed because any changes made had already happened. Because Hermione throwing that stone at herself to alert us to Dumbledore and the Ministry delegation approaching, happened before we actually went back in time. And I'd already seen myself cast a patronus before I did. We didn't change anything and going back in time had been inevitable.

But still, even if I couldn't change the time between now and the time I came from, I still had to find my way back. And screwing up now could still screw up my own chances of having a future beyond 19.

I got pulled out of my musings by owls flying over and dropping the morning mail. To say I was surprised when a parcel landed next to my empty plate, would be putting it mildly. I nearly jumped up from my seat and might have even yelped.

I eyed everyone around me before reaching out and pulling the strings that held the brown paper together. The package revealed a box of liquorice wands, a few pairs of socks, a leatherbound book and a white envelope addressed to 'James' in a bold and curly font.

I looked around me again and noticed Sirius holding out his hand without looking at me. I shook my head and opened the letter.

_Dear James,_

_Before I write anything else, your mother insisted on telling you that these are the last pairs of socks you'll receive before the summer. She strongly believes that there is no reason at all why a young man like yourself would go through socks as fast as you do. So please try and keep them in one piece before I have to secretly send you my own._

_Having said that, I do hope you enjoyed your weekend, it was a Hogsmeade weekend, am I correct? I'm sure you stocked up on sweets, but I sent you some of your favourite liquorice wands in any case._

_I was very happy to learn that you again caught the Snitch in your last Quidditch match against Hufflepuff and landed another victory to Gryffindor house. You do make your old father proud._

_The book is something I found the other day in Flourish and Blotts and I thought you might enjoy it._

_Lots of love from me and your mother,_

_tell Sirius we love him too,_

_and don't forget to share your sweets with your friends,_

_Your father._

Tears were forming behind my eyes and I quickly blinked them away before looking back up at Sirius. He was now watching me closely with a smirk on his face.

"Don't say they didn't tell you to share," he said and nodded at the liquorice wands. I rolled my eyes and opened the box before handing it over.

"They love you," I said and he responded by rolling his eyes as well.

For a moment I forgot I wasn't James and that I wasn't a careless boy receiving gifts from my loving parents. My Grandparents. I didn't know anything about them but what I learned from that package. They had loved my father and spoiled him rotten from the looks of it. Though it seemed like at least my Grandmother was able to hold some form of authority. The few lines about her actually reminded me of Molly Weasley.

The Weasleys and Hermione, would I ever see them again?

Remus bumped his arm against mine and I turned to face him. "What?" I asked more irritable than I meant to.

"You should really tell Padfoot to stop eating your socks, James. Your mother is right, this is getting ridiculous," he said and threw me a mischievous grin.

"What, are you reading my mail now?" I snapped and stood up. Remus looked at me like I was growing a second head and I felt the eyes of Sirius and Peter on me from the other side of the table.

And then I noticed her, my mother. If I hadn't seen her in Snape's memories, I would have recognized her anywhere. Her eyes, _my _eyes, stared at me with curiosity, but when I hesitantly smiled at her, they grew cold and she averted her gaze.

Well, that was one problem less. With a look like that, I was sure my parents weren't dating yet.

Remus jerked at my robes and I quickly sat back down.

"What is going on with you?" he asked me and I shook my head. I was going to have to come up with something more believable than a bad dream, but I was drawing a blank.

"Nothing, nothing at all! Just leave me alone!" I practically yelled and stamped off.

"Where are you going?" Remus called after me, but I ignored it. "Well, don't be late to Defense! Lance will have your hide!"

Okay, that was fairly helpful. At least now I know who this professor Lance was, and what class I was supposed to be at first period. Though I still had no idea what my father's actual skills were at Defense Against The Dark Arts. He's been one hell of a fighter after school, the prophecy said my parents bested Voldemort three times, you don't do that without skill, myself excluded.

The first few times I got away I was relying mostly on luck and friends. After that, well, I had still been lucky. Hadn't I?

It wasn't like I deliberately took Draco's wand because I was well prepared. I just figured it out before Tom did. Had I not, he wouldn't have killed Snape, but Draco. And if he had, I wouldn't be standing here, I wouldn't be alive.

Sure, I had some skill and from what others told me some larger than average power, but in no way was I anything special. Truthfully, I was more likely to make my father's grades drop dramatically than I was to stand out by showing unusual power. Unlike me, my father managed to do at least some extraordinary magic in school, like perfecting his animagus form.

I'd better study as much as possible to make up for my obvious disadvantage.

I quickly made my way back to the dorms to get my books and hopefully find my father's timetable. I was lucky, it was crammed into his Transfiguration books.

Arithmancy

Astronomy

Care Of Magical Creatures

Charms

Defense Against The Dark Arts

Herbology

History Of Magic

Potions

Transfiguration

Oh, Merlin. Almost the same subjects, but for Arithmancy, which looked like Chinese to me. In Divination I'd been able to struggle through by prediction my own death on a weekly basis, but Arithmancy required actual skill and calculation. Even if I were able to understand it, I'd never have enough time. According to this timetable, this was O.W.L. year for my father. And judging from the wear on the backs of his books, he was roughly 3 months away from examinations.

Alright, so. Plan of action: 1. Get Snape to not kill me, but help me. 2. Study my ass off to keep up in all my father's subjects, even though I already passed my own O.W.L.s. 3. Study even harder to try and not fail my father's Arithmancy O.W.L. if it got to me having to take it. 4. Making sure they wouldn't notice me not being James Potter. Though that was simultaneously point 1, 2 and 3 as well. 5. Get back to my own time and body.

Right now I needed to hurry to the DADA classroom and manage to avoid Remus, Sirius and Peter in the progress. Right, no problem. I put the letter, socks and book in my dad's trunk and rushed out of the dorm. Keeping to the shadow of the hallway as I made my way to class.

When the professor strode in, I understood Remus's strange glare this morning. "Good morning, sir," I mumbled obediently with the rest of the class as he greeted us.

"Right, as I promised Monday, we'll start with dueling today," he said in a bored tone. "I need a volunteer."

No-one responded and Professor Lance let out an annoyed sigh. "Mr Potter, if you would kindly assist me in a demonstration," he said and beckoned me over. As I made my way to the front of the class I could hear Remus mutter something to Sirius and they both snickered. I couldn't help sending them an accusing glare which shut them both up.

"Alright, I've explained the proper dueling etiquette last week, so after that we aim to disarm and incapacitate each other. At least, you will attempt to, Mr Potter."

I grimaced, remembering my first time dueling against Malfoy and how that ended.

"Don't fret, my boy, I will not seriously maim you," Professor Lance chuckled and stood to face me. We bowed and held our wands in front of us. "One, two, three..."

Lance waved his wand and cast 'Expelliarmus', but a quick 'Protego' let me keep my wand.

"Very good, Mr Potter, very good," he said and smiled.

"Stupefy," I yelled and a scarlet jet shot towards Lance, but a quick wave of the Professor's wand stopped the spell and in the same breath he cast 'Incarcerous'.

I wasn't fast enough to avoid the ropes curling around my legs. "Diffindo," I yelled and the ropes fell in severed strings to the floor.

Lance opened his mouth for another attack, but a flash of adrenaline had me conjure a waterbeam and I directed it at him. His eyes widened for a second before it hit him and swirled around him.

I had no intention to drown him, but I had an amusing idea. "Glacius," I shouted and the maelstrom of water froze, effectively encasing the man in ice.

A bright flash of light broke the ice into a million tiny sharp needles that came flying at me with great speed.

"Aresto Momentum," I gasped, making the ice slow down enough to give me a second to think. I raised my wand above my head and brought it down, yelling "Ventus!"

A blast of wind shot from the tip, sending the icy needles back to Professor Lance, who cast 'Fianto Duri' just in time to turn his magical shield solid. The ice hit it with a high tingling glassy sound and fell to the floor like confetti.

A moment later the floor underneath me started to vibrate and cracks were forming under my feet. Without even thinking I raised myself into the air and while keeping myself hovering, I gathered the familiar calm feeling of power together and let the next spell leave me in a barely audible whisper as I closed my eyes. "Everte Statum."

A loud crash startled me and when I looked down I could see Professor Lance in the far corner of the room between the remains of a wooden beam, surrounded by the shattered glass of a tall window.

I quickly and quietly descended to the ground and put my wand in my pocket.

Lance stood up with a moan and cast a quick healing spell on himself before he strode back to the front of the classroom. Fuck! Classroom! I completely let myself get caught up in the moment and forgot where I was and who I was supposed to be.

Ah well, I'm sure my father could've done the same, if not better. I did get surprised by those ropes after all.

I quickly glanced at the rest of the class and was shocked to see the horror-stricken faces. Fear was clear in every pair of eyes that met mine, all but one. Two narrowed black pupils watched me carefully, as if calculating me. Snape.

"That'll be enough for today," Professor lance said. "Class dismissed."

I looked back at him and caught him staring at me. I wanted to say something, but when I opened my mouth he turned away shaking his head, like he was dismissing some thought from his head.

I got back to my desk and picked up my bag to rush out of the classroom, but Sirius grabbed my arm. "Anything you care to share?" he said.

"Like what?" I asked him, trying to show annoyance, but failing.

"Like the fact that you somehow managed to learn wordless magic over the last few weeks? You failed horribly the last time I saw you try," he said while folding his arms over each other.

"I practiced," I snapped and pushed past him, but he stopped me again. Hurt flashed through his eyes and his shoulders slumped.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked and sighed. "It's not the gay thing, is it? I mean, I told you I'm not attracted to _you_. You really don't have to worry that I'll try something."

What? Sirius was gay too? I let out a sarcastic snort. Keeping it from him for an entire year after I found out myself, trying to come to terms with my own sexuality, worrying that he would reject me if he found out. Now I learn that he was gay too?

His eyes closed and he stepped back.

"No, Sirius, I don't care that you're gay. I just-" What could I say? I couldn't let him find out I wasn't James. "I'm just trying to figure some stuff out, okay?"

"Can't you tell me what's going on with you?" he asked hesitantly. "We're best friends, we share _everything_!"

"No," I said a little harshly. "Not this, just back off a little, okay?"

He nodded and took off, joining Remus and Peter at the door.

"Mr Potter," Professor Lance called out. "I suggest you bring some of that determination to class more often. It might give me the idea you have _some_ skill in the defensive arts."

"I'm sorry?" I asked, managing to sound somewhat innocently.

"We all know you're talented in hexes and jinxes," he said with a sneer. "But what you've done here today suggests there's more to you than just a charming bully."

I blushed at the implications the man made. My father really _had_ been a bully, and apparently my mother and Snape hadn't been the only ones who had noticed. Other than that, I'd nearly exposed myself in my miscalculation and distraction. I lost myself in the duel and used magic my dad obviously wasn't capable of yet. I needed to be more careful.

"Yes, sir," I said and made my way out of class when he dismissively waved his hand.

I rounded the corner into what I thought was a deserted corridor when the point of a wand was shoved against my throat. I couldn't see who was attacking me and the hairs in the back of my neck rose in anxiety.

"You," a low and dangerous voice growled. Snape. "Who are you?"

"J-James Potter," I mumbled as I tried to get my wand from the pocket of my robes.

"Looking for this?" he asked as a second wand pointed at my throat. "Now let's try again. Who are you?"

"I'm James!" I cried out. "James Potter!"

"_Don't_. Lie. To. Me," Snape spat. "Potter might be deluded into thinking he's perfect, but there's not a chance that impertinent spoiled brat has this amount of power. I can feel it buzzing, prickling the air around you still. I can taste it! So tell me, _who are you_!"

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**I hope you will let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Heyhey! So the next chapter is done, I hope you'll like it!**

**Thank you BregoMellonNin for prereading this! You're awesome!**

**This isn't Betaed, so excuse me my mistakes, please!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Harry Potter! Nor do I own anything related to it!**

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"H-Harry," I breathed while I closed my eyes. Now was as good a time as any, if I was going to earn his trust.

"Harry," he said in a low menacing voice. "Harry who, exactly?"

"P-Potter," I stuttered. "Harry Potter."

For a moment I thought he was going to let me go. How wrong I was. Instead he grabbed the back of my collar and dragged me with him, deeper into the dungeons.

"Please, I can explain," I said trying not to sound desperate.

"Silencio!" he snapped and kept on dragging me along while my pleas became more desperate as they could no longer be heard.

Once inside a stuffy, dark and long abandoned classroom, I found myself stuck to the wall by some sort of magical bindings.

"Why?" he asked me at first, his eyes narrowing as he intently watched my face. "No," he said calmly while waving his first question away with a haughty gesture. "How?"

His obsidian eyes were now sparkling with dark interest and I fought hard against the restraints. I tried to feel out the magic holding me with mine, though it was much harder without my wand.

"Polyjuice? No, I don't think so." His face was very close and I almost thought he was going to kiss me, but instead he sniffed at my mouth and turned away. "For one, I don't smell it on you."

'Smell' it on me? He meant to say- Fuck! I felt the old familiar rage I worked so hard to tune down course freely through my veins and I could feel it spark through my throat.

"Smell? You can't _smell _it on me? You mean to say that you have the ability to smell someone pretending to be someone else with Polyjuice?" I yelled. "Fuck you, Snape! Maybe if you had used that outstanding sense of observation with Jr, the fucking world wouldn't have nearly ended!"

And much, much more wouldn't have happened. Remus, Tonks, Fred, Colin, all the others that died because Voldemort returned. And Sirius.

"What?" Snape asked, confused and horrified at my ability to speak. He stared from me to his hand, still holding my father's wand. I wanted to lash out and hit him, hurt him, destroy him! Magic cracked through me once again and broke me free from the wall.

I took a step toward him and he took a step back, completely horrified. "Who the _hell _are you?" he stammered, his voice pitching higher than I'd ever heard it.

I inhaled sharply, closing my eyes and trying to calm myself. Killing Snape for something he clearly hadn't done yet, or more importantly hadn't _not _done yet, wouldn't help me in getting back to my own body. There must have been a reason. Snape had been on our side all along, I _had _to remember that.

"Sit down, and I'll try to explain," I said when my blood stopped rushing and rage dissipated from my mind.

The absurdity of the situation wasn't lost on me. Snape, almost falling down in his attempt to grab a chair, clutching a wand in either hand, scared of _me_, a wandless Potter. I wished he'd be alive in the future, so I could share this particular memory to him and watch the horror on his face. But then again, if he were, he'd remember this too.

"I'm not sure what I can actually tell you, because everything that happened to me, hasn't happened for you yet," I said as I pulled my father's wand from his hand and sat down. "However, I'll need to tell you something, as you are the only one that can help me get back."

Snape's eyes hardened and the usual snarl crossed his face. "What makes you think I'd help you with anything?"

"Your common sense, for one," I replied, that snarl not being nearly as intimidating as it was on his adult self. "I'm not supposed to be here, though I'm not sure that I'll be able to really change anything, this isn't my time." I paused, needing to be sure of one thing. "But first," I said as I took his arm and slid back his sleeve. His arm was clear. "Good, that simplifies things."

"Who are you?" he asked me again.

"I told you," I replied. "I'm Harry Potter, though that won't tell you anything. What I _can _tell you, is that I'll be born in roughly three years, son to James Potter and Lily Potter née Evans."

Snape let out an annoyed sigh that almost sounded like a snort. "If you insist on making up stories, you might as well make them believable. Lily can't stand Potter," he said. "And _if _you are who you say you are, and I _do _emphasize the point that I do not believe a single word you're saying, pray tell, why are you not running after your father's little friends and demanding _their _cooperation?"

"That's simple," I answered his question. "For one, I've never seen you act without careful deliberation and Sirius is, well, let's just say he's a bit impulsive. Remus wouldn't go against him without my father backing him up, who is in fact not here. And 'Wormtail'," I snarled, "should be glad I don't tend to send my father to Azkaban for murder."

I closed my eyes again and took a deep breath. "And whatever they did for me in the future, the honorable men Remus and Sirius will be, at this particular age, they're just a bunch of bullying pricks."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps there's more truth to your words than I originally thought," he said slowly. "Though you have yet to convince me of your identity, you at least seem to have some intelligence."

A smile tempted the corner of my mouth. "Why, professor, was that a compliment?"

I realized my mistake when his eyes went wide. "I can prove to you that what I'm saying is true, that I am who I say I am," I quickly said. "How's you legilimency at seventeen?"

"You,y-" Snape sputtered. So much for eloquence, seems like he himself hadn't been much better at it when he was younger. "You would let me into your mind?" he finally asked. "Freely?"

I snickered. "No, not freely," I answered. "Even though your hard fought attempts to teach me occlumency didn't pay off, I have managed to master it after the war ended. I won't let you rummage around my memories without direction, I can, however, show you a few that prove my story."

Snape narrowed his eyes and the tight line his lips formed quivered. He probably thought I was underestimating his skills, but he would learn. "Fine," he said and raised his wand. "_Legilimens!"_

I was ready, cleared of emotions, concentrated on the shield surrounding my mind and I could feel him pushing. It must have been frustrating, because I could hear him grunt. I gave him what he was there to see.

_I sat at the desk in Snape's office and he was looming over me._

"_I've been up in Gryffindor Tower," I said. "Like you told-"_

"_Can anyone confirm that?" he said, but I didn't respond. His smile was horrible, it distorted his face into something vile and evil. God, he really hated me. "So," he said, standing up again. "Everyone from the Minister of Magic downwards has been trying to keep the famous Harry Potter safe from Sirius Black. But famous Harry Potter is a law unto himself. Let the ordinary people worry about his safety! Famous Harry Potter goes where he wants to, with no thought for the consequences."_

_He glanced at me, searching my face for any reaction, clear he was out to provoke me. I kept my mouth shut and my eyes down as much as possible._

"_How extraordinarily like your father you are, Potter," he continued with glinting eyes. "He, too, was exceedingly arrogant. A small amount of talent on the Quidditch pitch made him think he was cut above the rest of us, too. Strutting around the place with his friends and admirers … the resemblance between you is uncanny."_

"_My dad didn't strut," I said. "And nor do I."_

I pulled the memory back, the rest of that conversation would just reveal things that had not happened as of yet. I couldn't risk it if I could help it.

Instead I pulled up a few flicks of people telling me I had my mother's eyes, followed by as many memories I had of looking into a mirror. And then, Christmas the year Dumbledore died.

"_But," I said, "Just say Dumbledore's wrong about Snape-"_

"_People have said it, many times. It comes down to whether or not you trust Dumbledore's judgement. I do; therefore, I trust Severus," Remus said. His back was turned towards a warm fire while he looked straight past Mr Weasley to me._

"_But Dumbledore can make mistakes," I argued. "He said it himself. And you, do you honestly like Snape?"_

"_I neither like nor dislike Severus," Remus said. and I looked at him skeptically. "No, Harry, I am speaking the truth. We shall never be bosom friends, perhaps; after all that happened between James and Sirius and Severus, there is too much bitterness there. But I do not forget that during the year I taught at Hogwarts, Severus made the-"_

Fuck! I quickly pulled the memory back and breathed a few seconds. It would really not be smart to let Snape in on the fact that Remus was a werewolf. I simply couldn't trust that he wouldn't publically announce that bit of information. Instead I skipped over that part and returned the memory a few moments later.

"_You are so determined to hate him, Harry," Remus said with a faint smile. "And I understand; with James as your father, with Sirius as your godfather, you have inherited an old prejudice."_

After that I swirled to the most important and probably one of the hardest memories I had to show him. And it wasn't even mine, it was his.

"_I thought … you were going … to keep her … safe …" Severus said to Dumbledore._

"_She and James put their faith in the wrong person," he answered. "Rather like you, Severus. Weren't you hoping that Lord Voldemort would spare her?"_

_Snape's breathing was shallow._

"_Her boy survives," said Dumbledore. "Her son lives. He has her eyes, precisely her eyes. You remember the shape and colour of Lily Evans's eyes, I am sure?"_

"_DON'T!" bellowed Snape. "Gone… Dead…"_

"_Is this remorse, Severus?"_

"_I wish… I wish I were dead…"_

"_And what use would that be to anyone?" said Dumbledore coldly. "If you loved Lily Evans, if you truly loved her, then your way forward is clear. You know how and why she died. Make sure it was not in vain. Help me protect Lily's son."_

"_He does not need protection. The Dark Lord has gone-"_

"_-The Dark Lord will return, and Harry Potter will be in terrible danger when he does."_

I pulled back and pushed Snape out as kindly as I could. It was weird going over that memory again so clearly. Seeing his face when Dumbledore mentioned me. Like he flinched at the mention of my existence, like the pain had doubled in his eyes. I couldn't think about that now, though.

"W-what was that?" Snape cried. "What happened to her? Why? When? I have to stop it! I have to save her!"

"Snape," I said, trying to interrupt his raving.

"I-I can't, he said she-" he went on. "And The Dark Lord, he wouldn't. How did that-? When? I've got to tell her!"

"Severus Snape," I yelled. "Shut up for a second!"

He looked at me with pain clear in his eyes, his mouth still opened in silent protest, but not speaking.

"Listen to me," I said. "From what I understand about time, I know it can't be changed, not really. What happened, will still happen, and it _must _happen."

He closed his mouth and opened it again to talk, but I cut him off.

"No! Listen to me," I said. "They were, _are _my parents. I would've wanted them alive as much and maybe even more than you do. But even _if _we _could _change time and stop Voldemort from killing them, it could change _everything_!"

Snape was shaking his head. "It _would _change everything, Snape! You don't understand. He was killed that night, because my mother gave up her life for mine. _Your_ love, _your _pleas, gave her a choice. Voldemort gave her the option to turn her back on me and live. She _chose _not to, and when he tried to kill me, he killed himself."

He looked up at me, his eyes filled equally with confusion and hatred. "So you're telling me, that if it weren't for _you_, she would've lived? And you expect me to _help _you?"

I chuckled. "You just had to go there, didn't you? Well, if you want, you can blame me, instead of the man you plan to follow around like a puppy dog in the years to come. But if you're at it, I should tell you the whole of it, shouldn't I? I mean, you should probably also blame Pettigrew, as he's the one who will betray my parents to Voldemort, or Sybill Trelawney, as it was her prophecy that made him target me in the first place. Or maybe, just maybe, you should blame yourself, because you are the one that told Voldemort about the prophecy that signed my parents' death warrant."

"I-," snape said. "I didn't know that, why would I do that?"

"No, of course you didn't know! As you're basing your opinions on mere snippets of what will happen in the future! And I haven't got the faintest why you told him, will tell him!" I snapped. "Maybe because you didn't know the prophecy was about her, or maybe even because I'm telling you you will. I don't know _everything_, I just know you did from the memories you gave me when-"

I caught myself just in time and breathed in and out for a couple of moments.

"Look," I said while taking a step towards him with as much kindness as I could summon. "This entire discussion is pointless. This wasn't the reason I showed you those memories. Do you believe that I am who I say I am?"

His eyes snapped to the floor and he was shuffling on his feet. I felt so far out of my league while watching him. In one moment he was exactly who I remembered him to be, cold, controlled and well, just him. The next moment he would be a teenager; scared, inexperienced and unsure of himself. I had the horrible feeling that it was me who pushed him to join the Death Eaters. Was it my memories and me telling him about it that forced him to do so? Would he have if I hadn't gone back in time? Could I inadvertently be responsible for my own parents' death?

Time; stretched, bent, confusing and inconceivable. It wouldn't help me to linger on those thoughts, to torture myself with the possibilities and consequences of my coming back. Even if everything that happened, happened because of me, I couldn't avoid it like Snape wouldn't be able to avoid what would happen to him. Time couldn't actually be changed.

Snape nodded and raised his head to face me again. "So," he said. "What happens now? How did you get here?"

"I honestly don't know," I answered. "The last thing I remember is standing in Diagon Alley. Someone yelled my name and I spun around to see what was going on, and the next thing I remember is waking up in my father's body with a splitting headache."

"A curse then?" Snape said and I just shrugged. "It must have been a curse if it pulled you out of your body and threw you across time. Probably Dark Magic."

"Does it matter?" I asked. "Who cares what brought me here, I just want to know how to get back."

Snape glared at me. "I take back what I said about your intelligence. Don't you think that whatever brought you here is the most probable way to get you back? We'll need to do research on any likely suspects."

"Why? It's not like we can question someone like Lucius Malfoy on a curse he might or might not use in the distant future," I replied.

"I am amazed, are you truly this dense?" Snape said coldly and turned his back towards me. "I was obviously referring to the curse itself, not the person who cast it on you."

"So you'll help me?" I asked in a timid tone.

He turned and raised an eyebrow at me.

"That's a yes then?" I asked and he rolled his eyes in return.

"Severus?" I said, putting the wand I was holding back into the pocket of my robes. "Thank you."

The corner of his mouth curled up into a half smile that lit up his face. He actually looked, well, attractive. He narrowed his eyes for a few seconds, before he took a step towards me and held out his hand. I took it and squeezed gently but firmly.

It might not be an easy one, but somehow we had formed an alliance.

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**Hope you liked it!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone!**

**Thank you so SO much for all the lovely reviews! They truly make me smile and I really REALLY should've replied to them!  
My life kind of went all over the place, and it's no excuse, but I really have no other to offer...  
**

**I'm not promissing to go and reply to them now, because it's not just the reviews on this story, but my others as well... I WILL however promis to respond to the reviews I get from here on!**

**Some of you sent me a few comments in PMs and reviews that I'm really taking to heart. And a fair few were responding to the 'not being able to change time' idea. I would like to quickly say something about that. I hoped I explained this in the second chapter, but I will do my best to explain it again.**

**I'm not really trying to discuss the possibillities of time-travel, because I'm not entirely sure what I believe at this particular moment. Instead I'm working with the theory that seemed most logical to me from reading 'The Prisoner of Azkaban'. In this book, everything Hermione and Harry did while using the time-turner had already happened. They didn't actually change time from their own POV at the moment they stood in the hospital wing and turned the time-turner.  
Going with this, Harry would've had everything that he changes in the past already as a memory. Say that he goes back and kills Dumbledore, he would've never met the guy. Knowing that he was headmaster at Hogwarts when he went there at age eleven, makes him absolutely positive that there's no way he can kill Dumbledore in the past.  
So, yes, his being in the past has an impact, but Harry's past and the past's future are one and the same.**

**On the note that Severus couldn't possibly do stuff when he would know the outcome of said actions... I won't really say that now, because it would be spoilerous! But trust me...**

**I hope that made it a bit more clear.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Harry Potter, just my imagination!**

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"Alright," I said with a smile. "I need to make sure I don't stand out too much, which means I need to know my father's skill in magic."

Snape huffed. "Skill? Don't make me laugh."

"I'd like to actually," I smirked. "Never seen you smile before."

The boy gave me a sneer that almost equaled the ones he threw me when I was younger. Almost.

"You should also try and not miss too many classes? Hmm?" he said and I quickly cast a tempus charm to tell the time. My next class was in less than fifteen minutes. He sighed and threw up a hand. "Fine," he said. "Stick to Black's level of incompetence in most classes but Arithmancy and Charms. Potter has _some_talent for the latter, but the former he couldn't do to save his life."

Well, that was at least _one_problem solved.

"However," Snape said. "He is taking some tutelage from Ravens, a sixth year Gryffindor with an obvious crush on your father. Try not to bed her and snap yourself out of existence."

I chuckled as he walked away from me. "Don't worry," I said. "I'm hardly interested in someone 20 years my senior."

He glanced back over his shoulder with a strange look on his face before he left the classroom.

.

The day passed slowly, endless classes of lessons I'd already learned. I tried to take notes, knowing my father would need them when he got his body back, it was the most I could do to try and not ruin his academic life. Most of my energy went into making sure I'd use the correct level of skill, I wasn't about to repeat my mistake in Defence.

Charms was the hardest, because Flitwick was very aware of James's talent and seemed to know exactly what he could and could not do. I'd never been particularly talented in charms, though my real age and experience made sure I could handle whatever my dad could. The wand did help, it seemed like it 'liked' doing charms.

Last class of the day was double potions, together with the Slytherins, and Snape. I was distracted by my thoughts, making it harder to make the mistakes my dad would make. True, I'd never been very good at potions, but The Half Blood Prince's book had helped me more than the adult Snape ever had. The same book he was scribbling in right now.

I chanced a look and noticed how his long fingers curled around the quill, how his hair slowly slid forwards and hid my side of his face from view, how said fingers absentmindedly reached up and stroked it back behind his ear. Damn these seventeen year old bodies, I could feel myself getting hard, from just looking at Snape. Snape! Oh God!

Sirius's hand on my shoulder snapped my attention back to my own table. "James!" he hissed. "Stop staring at Snivellus! Whatever you're planning, staring at him will just get us caught!"

I shrugged. "I'm not planning anything," I answered. "I was actually wondering why we keep messing with him."

Sirius looked at me horrified. "Who the hell are you and what did you do to my friend?" he asked.

My heart was beating wildly in my chest and I stared at him with wide eyes. He knew I wasn't James, he knew it and he would probably do something horrible to me. How on earth would I get out of this? I glanced at Snape, hoping he'd be aware of what was going on, maybe he could help me.

Then Sirius started laughing. I think you hit your head harder than you thought last night," he smirked. "No wonder me and Remus had to drag you back up to bed."

"Yeah," I answered, wanting to know what he was on about. "I'm not actually sure what happened though."

Sirius leaned in closer and started whispering. "We don't even know," he said. "You started shaking while you were changing back, you know? And then you just fell down. We didn't know if we should take you to the hospital wing, but we figured we could always do that in the morning. Didn't really fancy explaining the whole animagus bit and the being out after curfew."

"Yeah, good call," I replied a bit dazed. Okay, so I got into my dad's body while he was changing from Prongs back into James. But then, where did my dad go? It was all great if I could get to my own body, but he'd need to come back, right? I didn't think he was in here with me. I'd need to talk about this with Snape, maybe he had an idea.

"Mr Potter," I heard behind me. I turned and saw Professor Slughorn standing there, a little younger than when I knew him, but the same nervous and kind expression on his face.

"Yes, Professor?" I replied.

"Don't put that in there, my boy," he said, pointing at the belladonna seeds I was crushing. "It could blow up the whole classroom! Read your text carefully."

With those words he turned and strode to the next table, smiling at Lily. "Well done," he told her, peering over her cauldron. I couldn't help but want to talk to her. There were so many things I wanted to know. Sirius and Remus always told me about my father, but all I knew about my mum, was that she had the same eyes I did, and that she died for me.

I'd never been this close to a chance to know who my mother was, but seeing how her eyes turned cold again when she caught mine staring at her, I knew I might as well be twenty years into the future.

I sighed and stared back at my own cauldron, the contents were a messy shade of greenish brown, very much like the color of Sirius's concoction. At least I didn't do something stupid here, like making an acceptable potion in the required time.

When the class was finally dismissed, I let myself be lead out of the classroom by Sirius and Remus, Pettigrew trailing after us.

When we reached the staircase to Gryffindor tower, a boy with an uncanny likeness to Oliver Wood in Slytherin robes stood waiting. "Evans!" he called out, looking past us.

I turned to see Lily looking mildly annoyed at the boy. He walked up to her and slid his hands down her upper arm, making her shiver slightly.

"Evans," he said with a charming smile. "You can't really avoid me, you know? I _know_your game, you do want to come with me to Slughorn's dinner party, we both know it, so why don't you just give in now?"

"No, Mark, I already told you, I do not. Please leave me alone," she said and tried to walk past him, but he backed her up against the wall.

"Oh, come on, Evans," he drawled. "I want you, and I always get what I want. Why fight this? I know you want me too."

"No, I don't! Let me go!" she hissed. He just smirked and slid a hand to her waist.

"She said no," I shouted while coming up behind him, laying my hand on his shoulder to pull him back.

He turned and clucked my chin with his fist. "Stay out of it, Potter," he spat and turned back to face my mother, who looked at me with wide eyes.

"I will not," I said and shoved him to the side. "Go, L-Lily, I can handle it."

She stood frozen, eyes still wide and her mouth now slightly opened.

"Bloody Gryffindors," the boy murmured and lashed out again. This time he hit me in the nose, pain flaring through my head. It didn't feel broken though, and I wanted to hit him back, my temper quickly rising. But before I could move, Remus and Sirius were standing between us.

"I think it's time you left, Scabior," Remus said. "Four against one, even a Slytherin can walk away from that without wounding his pride."

The boy glared at me over Remus's shoulder, growled and stamped down the flight of stairs towards the great hall.

I shifted my attention back to my mother. "I could've handled him myself," she said, the conviction in her voice not reaching her eyes.

"I know you could," I answered with a genuine smile. No one would _ever_be able to tell me that Lily Evans didn't know how to handle herself. "But you didn't have to, Gryffindors should stand up for one another."

Her eyes flared with something close to fury. "You should do well to remember that, when you're picking on the younger ones," she snapped.

"You could just say 'thank you'," Sirius said sarcastically, but I held up my hand to stop him from making any further comments.

"Yeah, you're right," I told her. "I should."

I saw my mother's eyes go wide again with shock just before I turned on my heels and climbed the rest of the stairs towards the portrait of the fat lady.

Remus threw an arm over my shoulder, leaning in close to my ear. "If I didn't know any better, I'd almost say you were growing up on us," he whispered.

"Well, it's about time, don't you think? And I kind of like her," I answered, trying to shrug away his arm.

"Couldn't agree more," he said. "Though Sirius doesn't like it."

I snuck a peek at my dad's best friend over my shoulder, he was glaring at me with squinted eyes.

"Sirius can shove it," I muttered. "We can't spend the rest of our lives acting like arrogant brats."

Remus chuckled. "Been hanging out with Snivellus much? Sounds just like something he would say."

"He would be right," I said and waited until Remus told the portrait the password to the Gryffindor common room.

.

We had two more hours until dinner and I decided I'd do well seeing what the deal was with Ravens, though I didn't have a clue who she was, or what her given name was. I didn't think my dad would go around calling his fellow Gryffindors by their surnames.

Well, I wasn't almost sorted into Slytherin for nothing, now was I? I took my arithmancy book and sat down at one of the small desks in the common room, opening it to the last few pages that looked like they had been read through.

With a lot of sighing and huffing, I pretended to figure out what it was about. Honestly, it didn't take me a lot of acting to feign complete failure to understand the text, the symbols looked like gibberish to me. I'd have to actually read it from the start to pull off any sense of understanding.

After about twenty minutes I slammed the book shut, exclaiming loudly "This is useless!" and banging my forehead down on the leather cover. I didn't lift my head back up and as expected a shadow leaned over me.

"James," a nice girly voice said. "I thought you understood last week's lesson. Do you want me to go over it with you again?"

I looked up and smiled sheepishly at the pretty girl standing next to me. "Would you?" I asked. "I mean, when you explain it, it all makes sense, but once I'm trying it by myself, I'm at a complete loss!"

"Sure, not a problem," she answered. "I don't mind helping you. Is tomorrow evening alright with you?"

"Thanks," I said.

"Cassandra!" another girl called out and the girl snapped her head around. "We're going to the library, are you coming with us?"

"Yeah, just give me a second," she called back before she turned back to me. "So I'll meet you here after dinner, okay, James?"

"I'll be here," I replied and threw her another smile.

Still, I'd better spend the evening and night reading the rest of the book if I was going to pull this off. Though what I really wanted, was working on my other problem. Maybe Snape already had an idea, or we could search for information in the library together.

Of course it had nothing to do with him, no not at all. It wasn't like I was interested in him for anything other than the help he could give me. No. Absolutely not.

I tried to set my mind on something or someone else by looking around the now almost deserted common room. Sirius and Remus were laughing over some magazines while Pettigrew was trying to get into the conversation in the corner. Some younger students were reading near the fireplace and on the far end of the room, Lily was writing on a piece of parchment by herself.

I stood up and got the box of liquorice wands Sirius returned to me during Transfiguration from my robe pocket. I made my way to my mother and casually sat on the corner of her desk, holding out the box.

"Want one?" I asked nicely and smiled when she looked up.

"No, thank you," she said, turning her attention back to the parchment.

"What are you writing?" I asked, my eyes fixed on her, without peeking at the words. Still I couldn't help but read my aunt's name. _'__Dear__Petunia__,' _it said. I wondered if she would still write the letter if she knew what her sister was really like, or what she would be like in the future. I'd often wondered what my mother would've said about the treatment I received in my childhood. I'd like to think she would be angry, but I couldn't be completely sure. This was all the time I would ever consciously have with her. Right now, for as long as I would be here.

"A letter home," she said without looking up. "To my sister."

"Does she write to you often?" I asked.

Her quill stilled and a small pained sound came from her tender frame. "No," she answered in a soft voice. "Not really."

I gently placed my hand on the parchment she was writing on. "She should," I said. "If you were my sister, I'd write to you every day."

She looked up at me and threw me a hesitant smile. I returned it without thinking really. It was one of the best feelings I ever had, to have her smile at me, even if it wasn't really me she was smiling at.

From what I've seen so far, she was kind, though fierce. She really didn't like my dad much, but was obviously willing to change her opinion. She was also talented and a bit of a loner. And she seemed to be missing her sister a lot, even if the feeling wasn't returned.

I lingered for a moment, widening my smile just a bit. I could really feel proud, for her to be my mother.

"You know," she said and hesitated before she continued. "It's kind of ironic for you to stand up to Mark Scabior like that."

"How's that?" I asked slightly confused.

"You're usually not that different from him, to be honest," she replied. "You seem different somehow."

I remembered what my dad had said to my mum in Snape's memory and I could hit myself for not realizing that sooner. "Maybe I learnt the meaning of the word no," I said, plucking at the corner of the parchment.

"Or maybe you're going at it in a different way," she retorted.

"Well, if you want me to go away..." I tried, looking her in the eyes while hoping she wouldn't say she did.

"I do want to finish this letter before dinner," she said and I could feel my smile falter. "But I like this change. The new and improved James doesn't seem that bad."

The smile reappeared and might've turned a tad crooked.

"Let's see how long you can keep it up," she continued and winked.

I chuckled and got up from the desk. "Good luck with your letter," I said and stalked off to join my dad's friends in the corner.

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**Hope you liked it!**


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